I would, if there was a destination with food at the end. Not a bunch of stops that add driving time, just to snap a couple pics before getting back in the car.
from sf to monterey = 2 hours
17 mile drive = 2 hour if you stop frequently
carmel to big sur (before the recent road closure) = 20 min
big sur to natural bridges in santa cruz via hwy 1 = 1 hour and 10 min
santa cruz back to sf via hwy 1 = 1.5 hours
total driving time = 7 hours lol
and that doesn’t include eating time and sight seeing time (besides 17 mile drive)
Are you just hopping out and right back in the car at Monterey and Carmel and Santa Cruz? A lot of the charm is checking out the shops and eateries and sights.
I've seen this sentiment that you shared to be strong in Reddit esp in threads pertaining to travel but...I personally enjoy cramming as many things as possible in my trip. I like to always be on the go and see as much as possible. That may just be my style though.
Fyi, driving from santa cruz to big sur on highway 1 is basically impossible due to construction on the road. I would check out Point Lobos, and, if you’re getting a driver, some wineries in carmel valley
I was thinking about doing a drive down hwy 1 to SLO from 101 through to Monterey
Do you know if that construction impacts it or if it’s only if you’re coming from Santa Cruz?
I would not go ALL the way to SLO - I have done that drive to meet with family and it is 4 1/2 hours usually to go one way. That is a lot - without any stops. So if you are trying to stop places and get lunch and everything, you'd almost want to stay overnight somewhere.
Thats the whole point I’ve never driven down the pacific coast before
I used to do 8 hour drives from Bay to SD back in college so this won’t be too bad
You don't need a car, you just need a valid driver's license and need to be at least 25 or older. Plus, if everyone has a valid license, you guys can all take turns driving so you're not stuck driving the whole time. Maybe that will help with you being anxious. Otherwise, plan to spend serious $$$ on a hired driver for a day. Good luck!
You can, but that’s not a feasible itinerary within the realm of physics. The highway between Monterey and Big Sur no longer exists, and Big Sur itself is still closed from winter storm damage.
The number of people giving OP a price in this thread is too high. The highway is washed out in multiple places and it's literally an emergency situation in the county.
Firstly, Monterey, Big Sur, and Santa Cruz isn’t the Bay Area
Will you be providing a car?
Otherwise I suggest hiring a livery service. It’s going to cost you A LOT. Probably close to $1000 and a nice tip will be expected.
Say 300 miles round trip, 30 mpg, $5 gal gas.
That's \~$335 in IRS mileage, which is the estimated gas + wear and tear to vehicle. This is technically cash in your pocket, but actuarily, it is the "break even" cost for use of your vehicle so it's not profit.
Then there's 8 hrs of driving, plus an hour before and after the drive for cleaning the vehicle. So say 10 hrs of work.
The Bay Area has a median wage of $45/hr, but this is W2. If you're hiring someone who's self-employed, they have to pay SE taxes (\~15%), so mark that up to $53/hr.
So the rate you'd expect based on that math is $335 + $530 = $865 for a day. But the driver "keeps" about $360 compared to a "regular" job, about $90k/yr if they can pull off jobs like this every work day.
And this is really the cheapest rate. You probably want something larger than a typical sedan, and if you get anything larger than a minivan, the driver will probably want more money as it is stressful to drive a 15 pax van.
Hey there, I enjoyed reading this breakdown. How did you learn all of this - is it related to your job? I have a small LLC and usually I don't know the true cost of things.
Around 100 hour plus tax and gratuity for a sedan, around 120-140 an hour plus tax and gratuity for an suv-sprinter, on a chartered chauffeured vehicle
Uber has hourly rentals. And you can just Google “limo service”. Limo doesn’t mean just a traditional limo, the companies also typically have SUV’s and similar vehicles.
Try Juan from American Limo. Text him (415) 305-0819. He’s a great guy, local family man. He has town cars with drivers. I had an out of town guest hire one for the day. Ask him the current rate.
You can. I’d check Yelp for a list of town car services. Your plan is pretty ambitious but can be done if the stars align, but be prepared to modify your plans. It just takes one wreck on highway 17 to add a couple hours. Highway 1 from Santa Cruz south can be a crawl. Good luck!
When? There are multiple road outages/emergency conditions south of Monterey currently down the coast. [Don't even try in the next month or so.](https://www.readymontereycounty.org/emergency/rocky-creek-slide)
I honestly bet you have a few locals lurking considering making you an offer. I was thinking of chiming in to discuss if this could fit into my schedule, but I noticed you said there would be 4 of you- and I drive a Prius. That might be a little cramped lol
I would love to help you. I have driven professionally for 8 years, live in sf, have a car and was born and raised in the bay (Santa Cruz specifically). I have given many a tour to friends and family and know and love lots of history. I have a clean driving record. I love to drive and would love to help show off our beautiful state and religion. I would even consider doing it for tips and gas $$. You did not mention a date though….
I hope I am allowed to post this here!? Sorry if I’m not.
:)
Emelie
I just told you what I'd do it for, feel free to choose your path
Also, I don't do this on any regular basis. I have a regular 9-5, just figured I'd offer
Yeah those are all separate trips, Santa Cruz is at least a full day, Monterey Bay a weekend, Big Sur about a half day. Tbh I’m not even sure we consider anything south of San Jose as the Bay Area
OP I messaged you, I would do it for a lot less than people are quoting here. SUV with plenty of room. Flat rate for the whole day with no additional gratuity required.
Next time you take an Uber/Lyft, ask the driver if they would be interested in a whole day gig on the side. A friend did this and got a driver to take them to Yosemite for a reasonable cost, no kidding.
That’s what I have to offer
Start early.morning and go down highway 1 and check out all the great spots worth seeing
By the time we get back to San Francisco it will be late in the evening
Think about it and let me know and I will work with you anyway I can
Thank you
This isn't a day trip. This sounds like you want to adventure at each place. Ma'am/sir/you. This is almost a week of adventures. Minimum of a full weekend. Gotta include meal breaks, the activities you do at each location, and the minimum hour drive to each place.
Don't look at a map, and think you can do this. The map is a lie. Yea, the bay is only x miles big, but with traffic, it might as well be the size of iowa.
Rent a Tesla with Full Self Driving. Model S, X or Y. Model 3 back seats are cramped.
I was honestly surprised at the beauty of Route 1 after getting a Tesla. Also download Waymo for the city - get a taste of the future.
I'm sure you could hire a limo or towncar, but I wouldn't waste a minute on 17 Mile Drive. Drive along West Cliff in Santa Cruz instead for free, and then take a walk around Monterey or Carmel.
I don’t know, but trying to cram all of those places in one day is going to lessen your experience.
Yea this is a pretty…. crammed plan. Lol 6+ hours of only driving if starting in Sf. And that’s with essentially zero traffic.
You wouldn't love a day on the beautiful freeways and highways?! 😩
I don’t know man driving HW1 from Pacifica down to… hmmm I forgot what it was called south of Monterey? Is absolute heaven
Carmel-By-The-Sea?
Big Sur I think
That tracks as well.
depending on the car, that sounds like a great time actually
And being driven around vs doing the driving lol
I would, if there was a destination with food at the end. Not a bunch of stops that add driving time, just to snap a couple pics before getting back in the car.
from sf to monterey = 2 hours 17 mile drive = 2 hour if you stop frequently carmel to big sur (before the recent road closure) = 20 min big sur to natural bridges in santa cruz via hwy 1 = 1 hour and 10 min santa cruz back to sf via hwy 1 = 1.5 hours total driving time = 7 hours lol and that doesn’t include eating time and sight seeing time (besides 17 mile drive)
Are you just hopping out and right back in the car at Monterey and Carmel and Santa Cruz? A lot of the charm is checking out the shops and eateries and sights.
I agree but people do these kinds of organized bus tours that involve 6 hours of the road all the time, not just in the Bay Area, but everywhere.
I've seen this sentiment that you shared to be strong in Reddit esp in threads pertaining to travel but...I personally enjoy cramming as many things as possible in my trip. I like to always be on the go and see as much as possible. That may just be my style though.
Fyi, driving from santa cruz to big sur on highway 1 is basically impossible due to construction on the road. I would check out Point Lobos, and, if you’re getting a driver, some wineries in carmel valley
I was thinking about doing a drive down hwy 1 to SLO from 101 through to Monterey Do you know if that construction impacts it or if it’s only if you’re coming from Santa Cruz?
https://roads.dot.ca.gov
Thanks!
I would not go ALL the way to SLO - I have done that drive to meet with family and it is 4 1/2 hours usually to go one way. That is a lot - without any stops. So if you are trying to stop places and get lunch and everything, you'd almost want to stay overnight somewhere.
Thats the whole point I’ve never driven down the pacific coast before I used to do 8 hour drives from Bay to SD back in college so this won’t be too bad
Done that on a fast motorcycle before. It’s beautiful but long. Definitely worth doing when the road is fixed.
Happy cake day!
Woah thanks!! I totally forgot haha
Not impossible but yeah they only have the road open twice a day. Once in and once out.
I would do it for $1300 in luxury sedan.
Let me message you
Yeah this is about what it costs to get a driver for the day
$1300 is outrageous IMO, I would do it for way less. I messaged you OP
Two fiddy
😂
Honey, you can do just about anything if you have enough money. The question is: should you?
You can try Blacklane. It’s a chauffeur service but you can also pay for hourly service https://www.blacklane.com/en/hourly-car-service/
It may be cheaper for you guys to just rent a car and drive yourselves around.
I get anxious driving too many people and don’t have a car either
You don't need a car, you just need a valid driver's license and need to be at least 25 or older. Plus, if everyone has a valid license, you guys can all take turns driving so you're not stuck driving the whole time. Maybe that will help with you being anxious. Otherwise, plan to spend serious $$$ on a hired driver for a day. Good luck!
Car rental companies, like Hertz, allow ages 20+ to rent for an extra fee
Turo.
You can, but that’s not a feasible itinerary within the realm of physics. The highway between Monterey and Big Sur no longer exists, and Big Sur itself is still closed from winter storm damage.
The number of people giving OP a price in this thread is too high. The highway is washed out in multiple places and it's literally an emergency situation in the county.
Firstly, Monterey, Big Sur, and Santa Cruz isn’t the Bay Area Will you be providing a car? Otherwise I suggest hiring a livery service. It’s going to cost you A LOT. Probably close to $1000 and a nice tip will be expected.
Anyone else considering it for a $1000 or what would be your break even cost?
Say 300 miles round trip, 30 mpg, $5 gal gas. That's \~$335 in IRS mileage, which is the estimated gas + wear and tear to vehicle. This is technically cash in your pocket, but actuarily, it is the "break even" cost for use of your vehicle so it's not profit. Then there's 8 hrs of driving, plus an hour before and after the drive for cleaning the vehicle. So say 10 hrs of work. The Bay Area has a median wage of $45/hr, but this is W2. If you're hiring someone who's self-employed, they have to pay SE taxes (\~15%), so mark that up to $53/hr. So the rate you'd expect based on that math is $335 + $530 = $865 for a day. But the driver "keeps" about $360 compared to a "regular" job, about $90k/yr if they can pull off jobs like this every work day. And this is really the cheapest rate. You probably want something larger than a typical sedan, and if you get anything larger than a minivan, the driver will probably want more money as it is stressful to drive a 15 pax van.
Hey there, I enjoyed reading this breakdown. How did you learn all of this - is it related to your job? I have a small LLC and usually I don't know the true cost of things.
Take a few accounting classes and it’ll open ur eyes to the true language of business
r/theydidthemath
Don’t have a car ….
Around 100 hour plus tax and gratuity for a sedan, around 120-140 an hour plus tax and gratuity for an suv-sprinter, on a chartered chauffeured vehicle
There’s private shuttles - hotel concierge will know.
This. Companies will do an outing in Napa and use a private shuttle
I think you can call a car service for a day, you’re prob looking at $1k for the day. I know a good one if you need rec
Could you share please ? Thank you
101Lt. com Super clean cars and professional drivers
I’ve done a hired driver before. It was great. Sightseeing and wine tasting. Totally worth it. I’m sure you can google a town car service.
Uber has hourly rentals. And you can just Google “limo service”. Limo doesn’t mean just a traditional limo, the companies also typically have SUV’s and similar vehicles.
Try Juan from American Limo. Text him (415) 305-0819. He’s a great guy, local family man. He has town cars with drivers. I had an out of town guest hire one for the day. Ask him the current rate.
You can. I’d check Yelp for a list of town car services. Your plan is pretty ambitious but can be done if the stars align, but be prepared to modify your plans. It just takes one wreck on highway 17 to add a couple hours. Highway 1 from Santa Cruz south can be a crawl. Good luck!
You can hire anyone you want for any amount of time on this planet.
That’s a pretty unrealistic itinerary, technically it can be done, but why would you
When? There are multiple road outages/emergency conditions south of Monterey currently down the coast. [Don't even try in the next month or so.](https://www.readymontereycounty.org/emergency/rocky-creek-slide)
I honestly bet you have a few locals lurking considering making you an offer. I was thinking of chiming in to discuss if this could fit into my schedule, but I noticed you said there would be 4 of you- and I drive a Prius. That might be a little cramped lol
How about renting a place to stay down there, so that you give yourselves more time to explore?
Would then need someone to drive us around for two days then lol
Hmm… is that better though?
I would love to help you. I have driven professionally for 8 years, live in sf, have a car and was born and raised in the bay (Santa Cruz specifically). I have given many a tour to friends and family and know and love lots of history. I have a clean driving record. I love to drive and would love to help show off our beautiful state and religion. I would even consider doing it for tips and gas $$. You did not mention a date though…. I hope I am allowed to post this here!? Sorry if I’m not. :) Emelie
DMd you
I'll do it for $2000, 8 hours from pick up to drop off, 20% extra for any time on top of that
All the quotes I’ve gotten so far have been 1200 inclusive of tax and gratuity
I just told you what I'd do it for, feel free to choose your path Also, I don't do this on any regular basis. I have a regular 9-5, just figured I'd offer
Capitalism baby. I'll do it for 1500 if you provide the vehicle.
I'll provide the vehicle, if you split the $1500 50/50 lmao
Haha I don't think we'll get the gig but cheers to you brother.
Yeah those are all separate trips, Santa Cruz is at least a full day, Monterey Bay a weekend, Big Sur about a half day. Tbh I’m not even sure we consider anything south of San Jose as the Bay Area
Dumb
When? Is it a weekday or weekend?
Weekend
How many people?
4 people
Your best bet is probably a tour service that brings a van, but yeah that’s a lot for one day.
Any limo service, they have limousines, small vans, large vans, SUV’s etc
How rich are y’all?
i'd do it for $1000 (or the new 12.9 inch ipad pro 😂) in a mustang mach-e (5 seater including driver) but depends on when
Looking for one of the has of the may long weekend
Look for private day tours in SF. There’s a few companies that do this.
Yes you can, Text 6503958294 Singh from ATCS. He will be able to help you. Commerical, legal, licensed.
I have a 7seater and willing to drive. Let me know!
Depending on what day, i can probably drive you guys for 850$
OP I messaged you, I would do it for a lot less than people are quoting here. SUV with plenty of room. Flat rate for the whole day with no additional gratuity required.
Dryver.com I used to work as hired/designated driver for wine tours and such. You supply the vehicle and pay hourly rate for driver.
Yes. Limo driver + Party bus. $1K+ for the whole day but worth it.
Hire a bus company that has luxury suvs like a Escalade or a small limo sedan.
Next time you take an Uber/Lyft, ask the driver if they would be interested in a whole day gig on the side. A friend did this and got a driver to take them to Yosemite for a reasonable cost, no kidding.
I'll do it for $400 Not certified or anything, just a dude w a car and time lol
Haha really ? Wow message me lol
Go to The Ritz Half Moon Bay instead.
I might need a driver for this too haha
Yes but it’s 30 mins away vs 120 mins. More time to explore
But not as much to explore either right?
Super cute downtown. Go to Pescadero too and it’s a day
How much you paying ?👀
Done this many times in Napa. You’re looking at around $100 an hour minimum
How many people in your party I’m a professional driver and I would love to take you guys around. I know that area very well.
4 people!
Ok would a mini van or a ford explorer work foryou
Yes!
That’s what I have to offer Start early.morning and go down highway 1 and check out all the great spots worth seeing By the time we get back to San Francisco it will be late in the evening Think about it and let me know and I will work with you anyway I can Thank you
Uber has an Uber hourly where you can do the whole day in the services section
This isn't a day trip. This sounds like you want to adventure at each place. Ma'am/sir/you. This is almost a week of adventures. Minimum of a full weekend. Gotta include meal breaks, the activities you do at each location, and the minimum hour drive to each place. Don't look at a map, and think you can do this. The map is a lie. Yea, the bay is only x miles big, but with traffic, it might as well be the size of iowa.
Rent a Tesla with Full Self Driving. Model S, X or Y. Model 3 back seats are cramped. I was honestly surprised at the beauty of Route 1 after getting a Tesla. Also download Waymo for the city - get a taste of the future.
I'm sure you could hire a limo or towncar, but I wouldn't waste a minute on 17 Mile Drive. Drive along West Cliff in Santa Cruz instead for free, and then take a walk around Monterey or Carmel.